Sweet Merciful Fates: Telenoid R1 Spermbots Offer Telepresence

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This strange, spermoid robot is a case study. Basically, its creators wanted to build something so “unlikable” that their other robots would be downright cuddly in comparison and, more important, they wanted to reduce the mental clutter associated with telepresence. So what you have is a spermoid robot with actuated face and tiny stub arms.

The device, when it’s finally launched in 2011 for about $8000, will track the user’s face and mimic his or her expressions. You can then put spermbot in a room and have people talk to it. I also suspect people will draw all over its pure white carapace.

Prof. Hiroshi Ishiguro designed the robot with his researchers at the ATR in Japan. The robot is 31 inches long and weighs a mere 11 pounds. It will haunt your dreams for all eternity and only the cold solace of a blade to the brain will save you.